Dancer's Embrace
by FrozenTearsGal
Summary: Leon's living his life with the same old mundane routine. But one night, a chance encounter changes everything. Leon x Cloud Shounenai. Chapter 3 is finally up !
1. The Encounter

Dancer's Embrace

Chapter 1

The Encounter

Dessage. It was pretty much a desolate town during the day. Everyone was at work. Hardly anyone played. Children were even busy in school or doing chores before going outside. Even when the work was done the sun was already down, so there were no warm rays to soak up, no wonderful blue skies to enjoy. All there was, was the annoying chirping of the crickets and the occasional hooting of an owl. It was pretty dull, especially for a man named Leon, who worked at a local clothes store. Pretty much the only people that actually came in were those that were passing through. It was the same mundane thing day in and day out. It was the same old boring stuff, and no one really cared much for any of it, though they didn't know what to do to liven things up. In this town, the words 'fun and carefree' were not in the dictionary.

The brunette named Leon leaned against a finely polished counter, waiting by the register just in case someone showed up. Just in case they actually had customers. He worked in this small business with his 'friends', if you can call them that.

Sephiroth was a tall, handsome man, and the boss of the clothes store. His long silver hair flowed even as he walked, making him all the more beautiful in the eyes of the women, and even some of the men. Even his green eyes were beautiful. The color of emeralds is how the townspeople described it. And it wasn't that far from the truth, either. Everyone also loved his voice. It was so soothing, so seductive, and just as one can get lost in his eyes, people can get lost in his words. Just a simple 'Hello' is all it took to make the fangirls swoon and squeal with delight. Leon didn't care much, though. As long as it drew attention away from him, what the silver-haired man did didn't matter.

And then there's Axel. Yeah. Wonderful name to give to your child, eh ? That's exactly what the spiky red-head thinks. Either he's complaining about his name, or he's teasing his other co-worker, Roxas, who blushed furiously every time Axel's hand slid up his shirt or traveled down his leg. None of the others thought the blonde cared much. He seemed to enjoy it, nonetheless. Once again, the same routine. Day in, day out.

Another boy that worked with them was Hayner, though he worked more in the advertising instead of spending his time inside actually working and waiting with the others. His loud mouth along with his cunning flow of words kept what few customers they had coming back when they needed new attire. The boy would actually grab a loudspeaker and climb onto a pile of crates and make his announcements, making sure everyone within a two hundred foot radius, inside and outside, heard him. His speeches were the only things that seemed to gather any actual crowd to the streets. Every now and then a circus would come by, but only passing through, because nothing exciting ever happens in Dessage.

Finally there's Yuffie, a hyper-active young girl no older than seventeen. Though she always tried to liven things up in the town herself, no one really payed her any mind. Her favorite things to do were piss off Leon, watch action-packed ninja movies, and piss of Leon. And even watching action-packed movies seemed to irk the young sword master to no end, only because she would turn the volume way up. It wasn't enough to annoy the customers or the rest of her co-workers, but, sure enough, it was plenty to make Leon go insane.

Yeah. That's right. One big group of moronic, incompetent, stupid idiots. Just what Leon needs. That and some Tylenol.

"Yuffie. Turn that down, please." The sword master muttered, rubbing his temple, locks of his chocolate brown hair brushing against his fingers. "I have a headache, today."

"You ALWAYS have a headache, Leon ! Come on ! Live a little, will ya ?" The girl pouted, turning the volume down on her portable DVD player. It's not like he couldn't just buy a pair of earplugs or something, right ? Or he could just cover his ears ! That would work, wouldn't it ? She always turned the volume up during the kick-ass ninja vs. samurai scenes. It made her feel like she was actually there...in a sense. But that didn't matter to Leon. He just wanted to chuck it out the window, and hopefully hit a flirting Axel in the head with it.

Sephiroth stalked in the building, his 'girl of the day' latched onto his arm as he turned the 'Open' to 'Closed'. "Okay, men. Work is over for the day. You can go home, now."

"Work ? WORK ? You call this work ?" Yuffie huffed and stomped around with her hands thrashing wildly in the air. "We haven't had a single customer today, save for that old man that came in to buy something we don't even sell ! Shoes ! We don't have shoes ! This is a clothe's store. CLOTHES ! Not a shoe store !"

Leon rolled his eyes and grabbed his jacket off of the coat rack from behind the counter. He tugged it on, grey eyes glaring at the boisterous girl who was still going on about their job. "I'm going home. You guys can do whatever you want." He snorted and stormed out the door. He's just about had it with those characters in the shop. He felt it was about time he either quit, or moved out of the town altogether. But...where would he go? He didn't know any other towns around here. And he certainly wouldn't make do in a city. Too much noise. Too much commotion. Too many headaches.

He shoved his hands in the oversized pockets of his jacket as he walked down the street. He stared up at the already dark sky, watching as a bird, he couldn't tell what it was, fly overhead. He glanced at the moon. Everyone always said Leon's eyes were the same color as the moon. Leon didn't think so. His eyes were darker, and had more of a dangerous look to them. But...then again...the moon has it's own dark side, doesn't it ? The cycle the moon goes through, from new to full. It was truly a natural wonder to behold. It was always worthwhile to wait for the full moon to appear, just to see the wonderful brilliance of the grey moon shining down on the earth at night, lighting up everything in sight. It was truly breathtaking. But, aside from that and the beautiful view of the stars, there wasn't much else beautiful to gaze upon.

He shrugged the thought off and made his way to his house, turning a corner and fishing for his keys in his pants pocket, knowing it wouldn't be too much longer until he got to his place. It wasn't a large town. Only a small one. Leon wasn't sure if it was even on a map, it was so small. Everybody knew everybody and everybody liked everybody...just about. There were very few women in this town. There was Tifa, Aeris, Selphie, Yuffie, Rikku, Yuna, and Paine. Or... at least... that's all the women he could name off the top of his head. But there wasn't anywhere near as many women as there were men. This much he knew for sure. Perhaps that's why the homosexuality rate in this town is up. Not enough chicks to bang, he figured. Not like he cared. He wasn't interested in a relationship, and he could care less if he ever got involved with a girl...or a guy for that matter. He likes his solitude. Everyone pretty much knows that Leon likes to be left alone, and so he's left alone. Unless... Yuffie gets on a sugar high. Then she feels it necessary to annoy as many people as possible in the town, and the brunette sword master is always on the top of her list.

Leon finally made his way to his 'pad' as Yuffie calls it, still without having found the keys. He strips off his jacket and searches the many pockets on it, finally finding them tucked inside one of the inner pockets. He cursed himself and made a mental note to pay more attention to where he put his things. He fumbled with the key, trying to stick it into the knob. It was dark, yes, but not dark enough to where he couldn't see. Usually he had a lamppost right outside his door, so he could come home late and not have to get into a battle with the front door. But recently it had just blow out, and the power company hasn't come to fix it. He had called them several times, but they never really seemed to interested in helping him. But it didn't matter anyway. It would just blow out again, eventually.

He continued to fumble with the lock, finally able to get the key in and turn the knob, stepping in and closing the door behind him. He tossed his keys onto the computer desk and threw his jacket on the couch. Oddly enough, he always seemed to be able to find everything he needed in the morning, no matter where it was thrown or tossed. The only things he seemed to be constantly losing were his keys. The damned keys. They always managed to get up from where he thought he laid them down and creep off somewhere else. He actually found the keys in the freezer once. He had NO idea how they got in there, though. They must have legs or something. Yeah. That's it. Legs.

"Who am I kidding ? Keys are inanimate objects..." He sighed, flopping down on the couch. Now he was accusing keys of having legs, and getting up and moving on their own. Man he REALLY needed to get out more. Thing was, he didn't have anything to do. So when he wasn't working, he just stayed home, watching TV and going to bed at the usual eleven o'clock.

He sighed, rolling over. He was too tired to get up, too tired to drag himself to his bed. He was just going to lay here, and go to sleep. Drift off into a world of surrealism and fantasy. At least in his dreams he could leave this idle life and go somewhere exciting, somewhere wonderful.

His eyes opened a few minutes later and he stretched. Was he asleep ? Had he been to sleep? He glanced around to get a feeling of his surroundings. It was his living room. This was always how his dreams started out. He'd walk out his door and wander down the street, until somewhere along the way, something weird or wacky happened. And so he went along with his normal dreams and stood up, walking outside. He glanced around and shivered. It was cold. The night air was still. Even the crickets that usually chirped in and out of unison with each other were silent. It was quiet. Until...

Leon jumped as he heard footsteps running towards him, along with heavy breathing and panting. He turned, only to be knocked down to the pavement with a loud thud, feeling a new weight atop of him. He felt something warm splash onto his face. Rain ? No. There were no clouds, thus, no rain. His grey eyes fluttered open despite the pain, only to stare back into a pair of eerie , yet beautiful blue eyes, strands of platinum blonde hair falling in front of them. It was... a man. But...never had he seen a man like this before. He was...beautiful. He looked so feminine, and yet he didn't. He still had enough masculinity to make it easy to tell that he was a guy, though he had such delicate skin, such feminine curves on his face. This had to be a dream. It had to.

But before he could admire the scene before him any longer, the blonde pushed himself off of the sword master and was about to run away, but he tripped and fell. Leon reacted quickly and rolled to the side to catch the new face in his arms. If this was a dream...it was one hell of a dream. He could fell the man's hot breath against his cheek as he panted. He soon learned that the moisture he had felt before was sweat. He had been running. But from who? And why ?

The blonde glared at Leon and pushed away again. "Let me go." His voice was that of a man. Definitely a man. But...he was so...wonderfully beautiful. Was it possible to have a beauty that surpassed that of even Sephiroth's ? ...obviously so, if this guy possessed it. Leon decided to inquire the boy on what was going on. He sat up and took the boy's hand in his, only to have it ripped out of his grip. "Don't touch me."

"Who's chasing you?" He asked, trying to sound as gentle as possible, though, for Leon, that was a hard job.

"That's none of your business." He snapped, looking away. Leon finally got a good look at what he was wearing...and WHY exactly was he wearing it ? His outfit consisted of a black leather sleeveless belly shirt, black flare jeans and street shoes. Along with that he had a golden bracelet on each wrist. Attached to them was a long, flowing silken piece of white fabric. Amazingly, it looked good with his outfit, but... why did he have that? It was a bit much, no matter how good it looked.

"You aren't going to tell me?"

"I don't have time."

"Why not ?"

"That's none of your business either." The blonde was awfully cold, though Leon was just trying to be nice. But...then again, Leon was the same way when others tried to be nice to him, so he just had to try and find out what was wrong. He released a sigh and stood up, offering to help the blonde to his feet. If this was a dream, he had to enjoy it while he could. But, the boy got up on his own. "I don't need your help."

"If you're being chased, then yes you do." He snapped at the man himself. What was so hard about accepting kindness from someone if you were in trouble ? That much he understood. One time Yuffie had loaned him money when he was running low so he could buy some groceries for the next week, because he didn't have anything to eat. But, again, Leon payed her back and neither of them spoke of that incident since then, unless Yuffie wanted something, that is.

"...how could you possibly help me?" He inquired, raising a brow and shrinking back a bit. He wasn't sure if he could trust those grey eyes or not. They weren't exactly a normal eye color. Then again, blue eyes like his weren't exactly slapped onto the face of every boy in the world either.

"I can offer you a place to hide..."

"..." The blonde blinked, and then sighed, nodding. "I'll let you help me, for now. But don't expect anything in return."

Leon rolled his eyes. Well wasn't he the sweetest guy on earth. Heheh. Yeah. Bullshit. The brunette forced a smile as he nodded towards his house. "Come on, hurry." He took the blonde by the hand and ran to the building, closing the door and locking it. He turned to the blonde who was already laying on the couch, trying to catch his breath. "Are you alright?"

"Don't worry about me."

"But you're soaked..."

"It was raining earlier."

"And your shivering."

"Rain is wet. Wet means cold."

"So you need a blanket?"

"..." The blonde turned on his side and grumbled. "Whatever." Leon took that as a very obscure 'yes' and went into the hallway closet to fetch an extra blanket that he always kept for whenever Yuffie came over just to chat. She'd usually fall asleep after talking over five hours straight at an estimated speed of fifty three MPH. So he always kept a clean blanket, just in case. He unfolded it and walked over to the boy and covered him in the blanket. "...thanks..." Came the quiet reply as he tugged the blanket over his shoulders.

"So, do you mind telling me your name at least?" He sat down on a chair and stared at the guy on the couch, hoping upon hope that he could at least have that luxury, if nothing else.

"..." The boy remained silent, and just as Leon was heading upstairs to go to bed, he heard a soft "Cloud...my name is Cloud..." coming from the couch. So...Cloud was his name, huh? Interesting enough. Now. He learned his name. Time to go back to sleep and wake up to another average day.


	2. Talents of the Wandering Boy

Dancer's Embrace

Chapter 2

Talents of the Wandering Boy

Thanks for the reviews ! I'm so surprised I got two reviews in less than twenty four hours ! That really made my day, guys. Thanks ! I love all of you. And I really am trying to write more. The reason I can't update my YGO fic is because all the information is on the other computer. I already have chapter 2 halfway done, but I can't get to it until I get grandma's permission to unhook the External hard drive and hook it up to my computer to get all my picture, music and story files. Until then, I hope you guys like my Leon x Cloud fic. And this is just a filler chapter. The real story begins in the next one, hopefully. I had intended on something important in this fic, but I just enjoyed the character interactions too much. XP I wanted to see how things played out.

Recap :

"So, do you mind telling me your name at least?" He sat down on a chair and stared at the guy on the couch, hoping upon hope that he could at least have that luxury, if nothing else.

"..." The boy remained silent, and just as Leon was heading upstairs to go to bed, he heard a soft "Cloud...my name is Cloud..." coming from the couch. So...Cloud was his name, huh? Interesting enough. Now. He learned his name. Time to go back to sleep and wake up to another average day.

The next morning Leon awoke with a start, ears ringing at the sound of his alarm clock. He grumbled and slammed his hand down on the top to turn it off. The dream he had last night, and the beautiful man he saw in it. He didn't want it to end, but dreams ended eventually, no matter how good...or how much of a turn-on they were. The brunette released a sigh and swung his legs over the side of the bed, grumbling at the fact that he had to rise to another day of work, and then another three before the weekend came. It was always worth the toil and the wait, however. Two days of peaceful solitude. No Yuffie, no Sephiroth, no anyone. Just him and the covers on his bed. That was all he needed, and really all he wanted.

Fighting the urge to just say 'to hell with it' and go back to bed, he pushed himself off of the comfort of the mattresses and sheets, and forced himself to trudge into the bathroom and brush his teeth. He reached for the tube of toothpaste, where it usually was, but looked downwards to see that it was not in its 'usual' place. He always kept it right by the toothbrush cup, which 'usually' only held one tooth brush. His green one. But there were two toothbrushes now. And that unfamiliar blue one looked like it had been used recently. Recently as in this morning. He blinked and looked around for the toothpaste and found it closed, but on the other side of the sink. It had definitely been moved. He might as well assume that his toothpaste had suddenly developed legs and moved on it's own as well. But...then again, he knew better.

He decided he'd skip brushing, just this once. One missed day of clean teeth isn't going to bother him. He'd only had one cavity in his life, and that was when he was little. Since then he made sure he brushed every day after every meal. But, something concerned him. Something wasn't right. But there was still one thing he couldn't go on without doing. He grabbed his hairbrush from it's spot on the sink and pulled it through his hair until he could no longer feel tugs from any tangles he might have received last night. He set the brush down when he was done, obviously missing the stray strands of yellow hair that mixed with his own on the brush. He then put the gel in his hair and styled it the way he always did before walking out into the hallway. Leon was a creature of habit and liked staying in his comfort zone, and when he left it, he wasn't happy. And right now, he was outside of his comfort zone, way, way out of it.. His toothpaste had been misplaced, and, though he knew it was silly, if not stupid, he wanted to know why.

When Leon arrived in the living room he looked around. No one. There wasn't anyone in there. A few moments later his nose picked up a strange aroma wafting from the kitchen. He tilted his head to the side, and then sweatdropped. Oh no... was Yuffie trying to cook him breakfast again ? Last time that happened she nearly blew up his kitchen trying to make toast. He followed the smell into the room, and saw a boy with platinum blonde hair piling pancakes onto a small plate. He also heard sizzling, the sizzling that sounded when bacon was frying on a pan. And, sure enough, there were two other pans on the stove besides the one for the pancakes. One had about six pieces of bacon, and the other had two fried eggs.

The blonde must have heard Leon step in because he quickly turned and faced him, eerie blue eyes staring into the dull grey of Leon's. Those eyes were wide in surprise as he stared at the boy before him. It was...what's his name? Cloud. Yeah. That was it. It was Cloud, the boy he had let sleep on his couch last night ! ... wait... but...that was a dream, right ? ...obviously not, because there he was, staring at him. A shiver ran down his spine as he peered into the deep blue hues. They were so creepy, yet..so gorgeous. He found himself looking into them for what seemed like forever until the blonde spoke.

"Where do you keep your big plates?" ...hn.. That sure was one hell of a 'good morning' eh? He could have said 'thank you' or 'I appreciate your help', but 'where do you keep your plates' was the first thing that came out of his mouth.

"I'll get them." Leon replied, knowing full well he would have said the same thing if he was cooking breakfast at a stranger's house. He watched as the blonde sat down at the table and took two plates from the top shelf, dividing the food Cloud had cooked evenly. He set one down for the blonde and one for himself, pulling out his chair and taking a seat. He didn't usually eat breakfast, but if the other worked so hard to make it, he could at least try some.

Surprisingly it was good food. The only person, he thought, that cooked better than this was Roxas. He'd always bring lunch over for all the employees, refrigerating the food overnight and heating it up in a microwave at the store around noon. That way Leon and the others could, at least, have one good meal a day. Wait till the guys at work heard about this.

Wait...work? Shit ! He was going to be late ! And what the hell was he going to do with Cloud ? What did Cloud plan on doing ? Was he going to leave ? Was he going to stay ? He didn't have time to debate this. He quickly ran into his room and started changing his clothes to get ready. Just as he was hurriedly tugging on his shirt, Cloud walked in, a bewildered look on his face.

"...what's going on?" He asked, standing in the door way. He looked confused, but inside he was smiling as he watched Leon retie his boot laces at least three times before actually getting it right.

"Work. I'm going to be late for work." Leon replied, searching around his room for anything else he might need.

"Need these ?" Cloud asked, holding up the keys, swinging them back and forth. "They were on the computer desk."

"..." He sighed and took the keys. "Thanks."

"Can I come with you?"

Leon froze. Come...with...him? Why would he want to do that ? It wasn't like there was much to do over at his job. All there was, really, was a bunch of idiots, and if they ever saw the brunette walk through the door with Cloud, they'd automatically assume the worst, he finally got a boyfriend. But he wasn't Leon's boyfriend. No way. All Cloud was, was a boy he helped out. Yeah. He helped Cloud avoid those...people that were looking for him. But, he still had no idea why they were looking for him in the first place. Was Cloud a fugitive ? A criminal ? He'd have to ask him later. Right now, he needed to go, so he quickly nodded and opened the front door, letting Cloud walk through before closing it and locking it.

And so the two boys walked down the dirt road, side by side. He glanced at Cloud and finally realized that he was wearing the same outfit he had been last night. But, quite obviously, it was clean, devoid of any sweat stains, any mud or dirt. Leon gathered that the blonde must have washed it last night while he was in bed, asleep. Asleep. Was he still asleep? Was he still dreaming ? He wasn't sure, really. All he was sure of was that Cloud was next to him, and that the road ahead seemed to stretch on forever, though the clothes store he worked at was only a few blocks ahead. If he was still dreaming, he would have run into some weird creature, or even a dragon. Leon had a lot of weird dreams, including one where he had to rescue Yuffie from some sort of evil being, Sephiroth. He chuckled inwardly as he remembered it. But, it seemed the only out-of-place thing so far was Cloud. Such beauty, such perfection. Could a man be so perfect? That was the question that kept him pondering on the fact of whether he was still unconscious or not.

Leon stood at the front doors of the store, staring up at the sign that said 'Leonhart Clothing'. Yeah. Sephiroth was so original he used Leon's last name for the store. He shook his head and stepped inside to the noise and commotion of the shop, wincing as something hit him in the head.

"Oh ! Sorry Leon !" Yuffie exclaimed, walking up to him. "Axel and I were bored so we decided t-...who's your boyfriend?" Thank you, Yuffie. If nothing else, Leon could always count on the raven-haired girl to make his worst premonitions reality. She had a sort of...knack for it, actually.

Both men blushed and Cloud rushed behind Leon as the brunette waved her off. "He's not my boyfriend. He's just a stranger that wandered into town last night, that's all." He led the blonde behind the counter and turned on the cash register, taking his usual position in leaning against the counter to wait for customers, while Cloud sat in a rolling chair behind him.

"Rriiiiiggghhht. He's not your boyfriend. Okay, I see how it is." She grinned and hopped over to Cloud, bending down and patting him once on the head. "How does it feel to have such a hardass for a boyfriend ? He doesn't even acknowledge his love for you !"

"I'm not his boyfriend." Cloud stated, turning away from her, only to yelp in surprise when Yuffie spun the chair around so he was facing her once more.

"What ? But you're so pretty ! You could pass off as a girl with a bit of make-up here and there !" She laughed and spun around on one foot. "How 'bout it ? Wanna be dressed up all pretty ?"

"NO !" Both men said in unison. Cloud said it only because he really didn't need any make-up to look pretty. Someone else he cared about had told him that a long time ago. Leon said it because he really didn't want to see a guy in make-up. But, then again, Cloud didn't really need it. Pretty much everyone in the shop had agreed to that.

Roxas walked up to Cloud and studied him, scratching his chin. "Leon, if he isn't your boyfriend, who is he? And why did you bring him to work with you?"

"I brought him because he asked. I just helped him last night. He...needed a place to stay." He shrugged. He wasn't about to say Cloud was being chased. It would only raise suspicion, and there were enough assumptions being made already. Leon looked back at the blonde who mouthed a 'thank you' in his direction when the others weren't looking. The sword master nodded and turned back to the others. Axel was already spewing his daily flirting lines for the day, while Hayner was busy outside trying to bring people into the store.

Leon busily tapped away at the computer next to the register, resting his cheek in his open palm, elbow resting against the counter top. He was playing solitaire. Yeah. He was THAT bored. He clicked at the mouse, moving the card from one pile to another, watching lazily as the cards bounced across the screen when he won. At one point in time, he didn't know when, the cards took on the shape of Yuffie, bouncing here and there and off screen. He could just see the mouse becoming Axel's lecherous hand, grabbing and groping anything that was male within his reach. And, he pretty much made sure Roxas was one of the main things within his grasp.

The brunette was brought out of his daydreaming when he felt a light tapping on his shoulder. He turned around, only to have his eyes meet with Cloud's once more. He blinked and tilted his head to the side. "Is something wrong ?"

"I'm...bored..." He answered, with what could pass of as a pout. He didn't seem like the type, but Cloud must be the kind that can't keep still for very long. Despite his outwardly laze appearance, he must be full of pent-up energy waiting to be released. Leon did think the blonde was awfully skinny. Slightly muscular, yes, but not enough to where one would consider him a weight-lifting champion of the sorts. Cloud's reply, however, made Leon smile.

"I'm not sure there's much you can do for amusement around here, aside from the computer games." Yeah. Crappy computer games. But it was all Leon had to keep from going insane. All his other co-workers seemed to enjoy one another's company, but Leon felt like he would be better off without it. Yuffie always made her own fun, picking out daily victims to tease and taunt. Axel and Roxas pretty much enjoyed each other's company. Sephiroth was always off doing things with one of the town's girls, while Hayner was busily chatting with a couple of his friends on the pile of crates outside the store.

Leon, however, never had anyone to talk to, anyone to enjoy a good joke with. He had to admit, it was nice to have someone as quiet and anti-social as he was around. That way he didn't feel like a complete ass when the others asked if he wanted to go out and do something with them, which he always replied to with a gentle 'No.'

He watched, amusement tugging on his lips, as the blonde's blue eyes gazed over to the computer, watching Leon's wrist movements as he clicked the mouse to move the cards from one part to another. He seemed amazingly awestruck at his flawless tactics of moving one card to the Aces pile, only to have about nine more automatically go up to the top. "You're...really good at this game."

"It's not difficult." Leon muttered, looking down at him.

"Yes, but... Zack was really good too. I could never beat his highscore." Cloud added, continuing to watch as the cards suddenly began to dance across the screen once more. Leon raised a brow. Zack ? Who was Zack ? Probably an old friend of his. He didn't let it play on his mind too long as Roxas walked in with an armful of bento boxes, signaling the start of lunch hour.

Cloud blinked, tilting his head to the side, staring down at the box that the other blonde had set before Leon, but winced when Yuffie released a loud excited holler that could wake the dead. "Yeah ! Food ! Finally !" Blue eyes watched as she ran over and swiped her own box, jumping onto the counter with ninja-like skills, and devouring hers like a starved animal.

"Hey, Roxas." Axel whistled and eyed over the lunches. "You really outdid yourself this time." He smirked and ran a hand across the other's cheek, making the blonde blush, though he didn't pull away.

"Agh. Axel..." He looked away and then saw Cloud staring around the room, giving him an apologetic sigh. "Hey, whatever your name is, sorry. I had no idea you were coming. If I had, I would have made you a box too."

Cloud shook his head and hid behind Leon again. "N-no. It's alright. I'm not that hun-" But before he could finish his sentence, Leon sidestepped and brought the box closer to the edge of the counter.

"We can share for today." As much as he hated sharing his own food, the slight rumble from the blonde's stomach showed that his lips twisted themselves into a white lie, while his stomach craved for the food around him.

"..." He blushed a bit, but quickly fought the red off of his face and nodded, grabbing a piece of sushi and nibbling at the edge, shrinking back when he saw everyone staring at him. "What? Did... I do something wrong ?"

Sephiroth smirked and shook his head. "No, we're just surprised, that's all. Leon doesn't usually share his food, let alone anything else."

"..." The blue-eyed boy looked up at Leon, but the swordmaster quickly turned his head away from any and all gazes and stares he was receiving. "Don't listen to them, Cloud. The clowns around here make a living off of torment. You just learn to tune it out, eventually."

"What ?" Hayner shouted, standing up and walking over to the tall man behind the counter. "What the hell is your problem? You're the one that refuses to socialize in any way shape and or form ! You really tick me off, you know ?"

"..." Cloud sighed and sat back down on the rolling chair. It was best if he didn't get involved with a squabble between two co-workers. If they did this daily, it would blow off sooner or later, without any physical injuries, right ? He wanted to do something, anything. Zack had always told him his special 'talent' really helped soothe the souls of arguing people. But would his 'talent' be appreciated here ? Where he came from, his talents were a sight to behold, especially from the males. But he wasn't sure about the customs in this new place. But...he had to try.

He sighed and stood to his feet, walking to the middle of the room as the white strip of fabric flowed behind him with every step he took. All of the others blinked and stared at him as he stood still, eyes closed, body ready. He took a step forward, then another, and then swung his body around to face another direction. Another step, another turn, and then he lifted his arms, the fabric following with a light rustle. He extended his leg farther this time, spinning around and throwing his head up as the pace of his movements quickened. All the others watched in awe as Cloud began to dance.


	3. Once Upon a Memory

Dancer's Embrace

Chapter 3

Once Upon a Memory

Okay, just wanted to say a few things before I get the third chapter underway. You don't have to read it if you don't want to, but it's preferred that you do. Some of you are probably wondering why I haven't posted any other fics. Thing is, in the past, I was so worked up with other ideas that I never finished the other stories. So now I'm trying to finish the fic I'm working on before moving to another. I do plan to continue my YGO fic eventually, but I still don't have access to the computer. I'm getting an external hard drive of my own soon, hopefully. When that happens I can transfer my files to that and get the existing picture and fic files from this computer onto it. That way, if it crashes, I won't have any problems. But I do apologize for not updating my YGO fic sooner, when I had access to the file. I just had other things to do, like play games, and talk to friends. Well, I still have all that, but... you get my drift. Anyway, I'm jabbering. Continuing on with business.

I'm also really sorry about the amount of time it took to post this chapter. I had a bad case of writer's block. Along with that, my friend let me borrow a couple new anime, and I've been watching those. I've also been playing a lot of Adventure Quest lately, and, once again, I'm really sorry about the delay you guys.

And, once again, I want to thank you all for the reviews. I did get one idiot that flamed me, though. But he was just being a bitch, I'm sure. Either that, or he really didn't like it. XP Either way, I'm glad I have gotten so many reviews in so short a time. My writing is nothing compared to my new idol, Sorceress Fantasia. Her work is excellent. It was her stories that inspired me to write this, and thank you, Fantasia-chan, for all of your support as well. Okay... just... wanted to get that off my chest. And so the fic continues.

Recap :

He sighed and stood to his feet, walking to the middle of the room as the white strip of fabric flowed behind him with every step he took. All of the others blinked and stared at him as he stood still, eyes closed, body ready. He took a step forward, then another, and then swung his body around to face another direction. Another step, another turn, and then he lifted his arms, the fabric following with a light rustle. He extended his leg farther this time, spinning around and throwing his head up as the pace of his movements quickened. All the others watched in awe as Cloud began to dance.

He held his hands above his head as he danced to a song that played inside his mind, one he had long since memorized. It was the sound of a flute, one that belonged to a man that he once loved. The man he loved, who met a tragic end. The man, who's bloody body he held in his arms. The loving soul that he had made a promise to.

_Cloud, promise me one thing. _Said the voice in his mind as he continued his majestic steps,twirling and spinning in such an amazing way._ ...don't ever stop dancing._

_I won't, Zack. I promise. I'll keep dancing, till the day I die...for you. _When his graceful performance was done, he stopped, hanging his head, arms hugging his body tightly. _No... I'll keep dancing, even when I die. Because... I know... you'll be there waiting... wanting to see me dance again... and I'll dance for you... I'll dance for you for all eternity_

Lost in his thoughts, in his memories of the past... that's how he's been living for so long. It's been years since Zack died, and he wanted so badly to die now and go with him to the other side, but he had to keep his promise. He had to keep dancing, he had to keep living, but he didn't want to. His heart ached for the one he loved, and he had considered suicide so many times. But something kept telling him to move forward, something pushed him to move on, to keep existing. Even as the dreams of his lover tore at his heart and plagued his mind... he somehow managed to keep moving. But... he was still young... he had a long way to go before he would die of old age. And, somewhere, deep inside of him, he hoped something or someone would come along and kill him.

The blonde was released from his chain of thoughts, however, when he felt a firm grip on his shoulder. His aqua colored eyes glanced up to see two grey orbs staring at him, along with the soft whisper of his name. He looked away, fighting back the tears that wanted to escape. "I'm...fine..." He muttered, pulling away from him and reclaiming his seat on the rolling chair.

All of the employee's eyes were wide open, all of them staring directly at Cloud, who shrank back, once he realized he was the one being gawked at. Yuffie let out a loud fangirlish squeal and tackled the poor blonde off of the chair. "OMFGYouweresoawesome !" She exclaimed all in one breath. "Why didn't you tell us you could dance like that ? I would have been a whoooole lot nicer to you if you had just told me !"

"No you wouldn't , Yuffie." Hayner noted, folding his arms. His chestnut brown eyes went from the raven-haired girl, to the dancer boy, who he could have sworn was turning a mix of blue and red. "You would have dressed him up in the skankiest outfit here and take him out to the street."

"I would noooooooot." Yuffie whined, poking her fingers together. "I'd dress him up in the skankiest outfit here and make him give Leon a private show !" And cue the awkward silence.

Cloud grumbled and tugged on Leon's shirt sleeve. "What time do you guys usually close?"

"Around five." Leon replied, stretching. He patted the blonde on the head and turned off the computer. "We've got another four hours to go. I promise, though, I won't bring you here again. It's a dull place, I know."

The blonde shook his head, latching onto the brunette's arm. "No, just bring a book with you for me to read, okay ?" He looked up at Leon almost pleadingly. The others around the two wondered why Cloud was staying so close to the sword master. The dancer obviously was emotional. That much was for sure. But Cloud came around as more of the quiet, lone wolf type. So why was he relying on Leon so much ?

Leon blinked at the other's request, but nodded. Just why would he want to come back to a boring store like this ? Leon certainly didn't like it. The only reason he worked here was to pay the bills. Hell, if things such as bills didn't exist, he'd stay at home every day, only coming out to buy groceries and such. Wait... he needed money for that too, didn't he ? Shit...

Well he was out of luck. Lovely. Abso-fucking-lutely lovely. He groaned as he watched his co-worker's antics. He felt as if he was the only one that was actually doing any work. If sitting around a cash register waiting for customers can be considered work, that is. He shrugged it off and leaned against the counter, grey eyes shifting from the clock, which seemed to be getting slower by the second, to the blonde staring at the tile floor, kicking his legs in rhythm to his humming. Leon had to admit, the kid was actually kind of cute. And about an hour ago he had realized just why Cloud wore the clothes he was sporting.

He was a dancer. A male dancer, nonetheless. And yet, he couldn't help but be captivated by the boy's movements. They were so graceful, so serene. It was like watching a ballet, though he had never really cared to go to one in his life. The bounce of his body with each step, the way he shifted his hips when he turned, and even the fluttering of the fabric behind him mesmerized him. And it seems to have caught the attention of the other guys too. All of them, even Hayner, were staring in awe at the wonderful performance, the absolute beauty of his movements. But... Leon, when Cloud looked his way during a turn, could have sworn he saw a single tear rolling down the blonde's cheek. Perhaps he was just imagining things. But...then again, perhaps not. He wasn't sure, but he decided not to ask. Cloud's past was Cloud's past. And whatever happened was for Cloud to deal with.

Soon it was closing time and the others all began heading home, chatting idly as they walked out the door, leaving Leon to lock up. Cloud offered to help and it was gladly accepted by the brunette, for the events that had happened within the past few days had really worn him out. But he didn't mind. Really. Yuffie's constant yapping and Axel's flirting were enough to keep him coming back for more. Not. But... today the day seemed to fly by. He didn't know what it was. Maybe it was the fact that Yuffie wasn't as loud as usual, or maybe it was because Sephiroth didn't show up for lunch that day. Or maybe...just maybe, it was the fact that the blonde boy was there. He really wasn't bad company to keep around. His quiet shyness made him kind of cute, and every time he looked at those beautiful blue eyes, he felt like he was staring at both the sky and the sea, mixed together in a swirling mass of cerulean exotica.

Leon shook his head, wondering why he was thinking such thoughts. He wasn't sure of his sexuality, so he couldn't exactly say he was straight. But it's kind of hard to be straight when you're surrounded by almost nothing but boys from morning to quitting time.

The brunette sighed and finished cleaning things up as he headed out the door. He noticed the boy next to him was shivering, and so he peeled off his jacket and let it hang around his shoulders. Cloud looked up at him questioningly, but found that Leon had already returned his gaze to the path ahead of them. The blonde couldn't help but smile as he hugged the jacket around him. _Zack used to do this._ He thought. _Zack would always know when I was cold, whether I said so or not, and he'd take off his jacket and put it on me. _

Then a sharp pain hit the blonde in the chest. This man... he wasn't Zack. He was far from it. His black-haired lover was outgoing, perky, and... rather loud. But Leon was quiet and reclusive. The exact opposite. So why did he hang around him? Why exactly did he stay by Leon's side? He didn't know. He just knew he had to think things through. He was going to move on soon, move on and forget any of this ever happened. He was running away, though he didn't know what from. "Le-Leon..." He said weakly, shivering despite the warmth the leather jacket brought him.

"Yeah, Cloud?" He looked down at the blonde. "Is something wrong?"

"I...need to...go for a walk. Alone."

Leon quirked a brow at his words. Alone? He wasn't thinking of running off was he? If he had people chasing after him then surely all of this wasn't such a good idea. But if the boy needed to be alone, he'd respect his wishes. He too, knew what it was like to require solitude from time to time. "Alone? Are... you sure?"

Cloud nodded and began walking away, even as the street lights began to brighten and the moon's silver rays began to shine down on the town below. He ran into a flower field just outside Dessage and fell to his knees, falling over and hugging his knees close to him as the tears that he fought back began to force themselves through. Leon...wasn't Zack. Why he thought so, he didn't know. But Leon was being so nice to him. Leon was bold and stood up for himself, even if it meant starting a fight with his friends. Is that why ? But...he wasn't Zack. Zack was dead, and he was never coming back. Ever. Cloud would never hear his voice again, or that annoying-

"Oi, Cloud !"

Yeah. That was it. That's exactly what annoyed him most. He was even hearing his voice. He closed his eyes, hoping he could hear more.

"Ah, Cloud ! You're so lazy. Get up."

Heheh. He always said Cloud was lazy, when truly, it was Zack that was the lazy one.

"Hey, Cloud ! Wake up, dammit, and stop crying."

He felt himself being shaken. He figured it was only his imagination, so he remained still, until he felt a sharp pain on his forehead. That bastard ! He was pulling on his hair ! Correction. THAT was what annoyed him most. Cloud sat upright and glared in every direction. "Dammit, Zack ! Would you st-" He blinked. Standing in front of him, cocky grin and all, was Zack. But...how? Zack was dead. He couldn't be.

"What, Cloud? You're acting like you just saw a ghost ! Well...uh...I am a ghost... I guess."

"A-...a ghost ?" Cloud blinked, rubbing the tears from his eyes.

"Yeah ! You know, a ghost !" Zack grinned and bent over to Cloud's level. "Not fully here, not fully there. Just kinda...in other places, yanno? A ghost."

"But...but...you bastard." He grumbled, staring up at him. "You're dead ! You're dead... you're...not supposed...to be here..."

"But that's exactly why I am here. To say goodbye, before I depart for the afterlife." He knelt down and placed a kiss on Cloud's forehead and brushed some of the blonde locks out of his face. "Man, you've really grown. Heheh. You're even cuter now than you were before."

"Shut up." Cloud said with a pout, staring up at the lavender eyes that were his lovers. He reached up to place his hand on Zack's cheek, but it went through. Cloud blinked, blinked again, and then turned away, tears forming in his eyes again.

"Ah, sorry Cloud." Zack said, sitting down with his back to the blonde. "Only I can touch you. One of the things about bein' a ghost." He sighed heavily, wishing he could feel Cloud's embrace once more, and the warmth of his lips. But he realized so long ago that it was never going to happen again. "Hey, Cloud?"

"Yeah?"

"...who's the jacket belong to?"

"Leon."

"Who's Leon?"

"Is that any of your business?"

"...yes, I need to know if my boyfriend is cheating on me !"

"Ah..." Cloud closed his eyes, taking all of this in. It was definitely the same old Zack. Teasing him and making fun of him as usual. But he was dead. He was riddled with bullets. Enough to kill an elephant ten times over. But he's here. He's talking to him. Zack. His lover. A feeling of nostalgia washed over his body as he remembered the times he and Zack had together. Zack would always play his flute, and Cloud would dance for the people that gathered, always helping the brunette collect the money that was thrown out to them, afterwards. That was how they made their living. But he enjoyed it. As long as he got to spend time with Zack, he loved every waking moment.

He felt a cold sensation on his left hand. He looked over, and Zacks hand was laying over his, fingers intertwined. This...wasn't right. His hands were always so warm. So...he really was dead. He couldn't believe it. The one thing in his life, the one thing that as any good, was dead, gone. And he came to say goodbye? That's right. He's passing on, just like all souls do when they die. But as he heard, some souls die suddenly and without warning, without having a chance to do in life what they wanted to do. And so they wander the world for years trying to find someway to do the things they wanted. So...why was Zack here?

And, as if he was reading his mind, the black-haired lover brought up the subject. "Cloud... I... came back because... I wanted to tell you to move on."

"M-move on?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I... wanted to be with you, forever. But... you and I both know now, that it isn't going to happen, right? So... I need you to move on. Fall in love with another man, or girl if you're bi." He smirked as he saw Cloud's body twitch. "Get off the streets, do what you want to do."

"But... you told me to never stop dancing."

"I know... I know. And you don't have to. But don't dedicate your life to it. As long as you dance every now and then, it's fine." He smiled and stared up at the starlit sky, and back down on the blue flowers that surrounded them, watching as the moonlight made the pedals glisten and shine with a brilliance that was unmatched by anything else. "Please, Cloud. Don't go on living a miserable life for the sake of your memories. Go out, have fun, get a dog. You always told me you wanted a dog."

"Zack...why..."

"Hm? Why what?"

"Why...why did you die?"

"Ah...well...that one I can't explain, love. Perhaps it was fate, or maybe there's someone else out there that needs a brightening smile like yours. Who knows." He stood up and helped the blonde to his feet. "...Cloud? Can you... do me a favor?"

"...yeah?"

"Can you...dance for me? One more time?"

Cloud blinked as he watched Zack pull out the flute that he used to play at their performances. He smiled at the other man and nodded, getting into position. The music filled his ears and floated through the air, swirling around them as the blonde began to dance. He closed his eyes, getting lost in the melody, lost in his thoughts, in the memories of his deceased lover.

The next morning Cloud awoke with a start, rubbing his head. It was... a dream. It was only a dream. Zack had never shown up that night. He had never left Leon's side. He had followed the man all the way back to the house and gone straight to bed. Yeah. That's what happened.

He glanced around at slightly familiar surroundings. He was back in Leon's house, back on the couch. He grumbled a bit and threw the blanket off of himself, swinging his legs over to place them on the floor. But then he heard a clatter which caught his attention. His eyes scanned the floor, when they fell onto something long, wooden. He reached over and picked it up, holding it in his hand. It was a flute. Zack's flute.


End file.
